Taliban, Darul Uloom Deoband and idols

[Dominik Wujastyk]

On Thu, 5 Apr 2001, Subrahmanya S. wrote:

> Surely there was iconoclasm in "classical and medieval India" why
> is it not a appropriate topic ?

Iconoclasm in classical and medieval India *is* an appropriate topic!
Duh.

> It is probably time for the natives to study the
> "indology scholars" themselves to find out their motives.

Actually, many important studies of this topic already exist, by Schwab,
Inden, Breckenridge and van der Veer, Trautmann, and others.  These
authors are all natives, of course.

> But then of course, the list owner has complete rights to
> censor and select the topic.

Yes, I do.  So I insist that a discussion of the Taliban, their
motivation, our feelings about what has happened, and so forth, is
inappropriate in this forum.  I urge you in the strongest possible terms
to discuss this vitally important topic.  But please do so in an
appropriate forum, e.g., one designed for current affairs.  Not in
INDOLOGY.

> Then, however, the claim to openminded scholarship is not valid.

Yes, it is valid.  The INDOLOGY forum is designed for the open-minded,
scholarly discussion of any topic that falls within its defined scope,
which is clearly stated in the documentation available at
www.indology.org.uk

A fashion magazine could justifiably turn down submissions on engineering;
a physics journal could even turn down submissions on chemistry.  The
INDOLOGY forum deprecates submissions on current affairs.  It's a simple
matter to grasp, surely?

--
Dominik Wujastyk
Founder, INDOLOGY list.